Metal-bending machine



Aug. 26, 1930.- w. L. FRY

METAL BENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mmvrox.

Aug Q26, 1930. w. L. FRY

IETAL BENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 JNKENTOR./@w: i \f B Y 7 ATTORNIQYS.

Patented Aug. 26, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT f orricr.

WALTER L. FRY, OF soARsDALn, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE *AssIGN'MEnTs,TO WIL-FRY'CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. A CORPORATION or DELAWAREMETAnBnNnING MACHINE Application filed February 8,1929. Serial r0.338,400.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for bending metal, andthe object of my invention is to produce a simple machine which willbend metal to the desired shape,

5 and do the work in such a manner that there will be no reactionand'the bent metal will stay'in the exact'form or shape to which. it isbent. In machinesoif this character there has been much difiiculty indoing work with it sufficient accuracy, because frequently the metalafter being bent will spring back to acertainextent, and sometimes it isbent to a greater extentthan required to allow'for I this reaction, butobviously in such cases the 15 work is'inac'curate.

My invention is providedwith stock gripping'means by 'whichthe stock iscrimped or broken down to a certain extent so'that the reactionaryeffect is destroyed, and when this crimping or breaking down means isfollowed along the metal in the shape to which it is to be bent, themetal will'stay to the exact curvature'or shapeto which it is bent. My

invention is further intended to produce a simple'and accurate means forcarrying out the aforesaid work, and'to this end it comprises a camtrack of the desired shape, and carriages moving along the guide trackand carrying the crimping or} gripping rollers stxso that the movementof the gripping rollers bodily will give the shape to the metal, andtheir gripping or" criinping action on the metal will break it down toprevent reaction as stated.

My invention is further intended to provide simple and reliable meansfor actuating and guidingthe rollers, and'i'or permitting the guidingrollers to pass freely but without loss of direction around the curvesof the cam track.

nr 11d Reference is to behad tothe accompanyk ing drawings forming apart of this specification', in which similar reference characters1ndicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine embodying my invention. v aFigure 2 is a side elevation thereof. 1 Figure 3 isabroken sectionalPlan 1 the 116 5 -3 of. Figure 5, r

Figure 4 is a broken detail plan of one of the carriages and thegripping rollers.

Figure 5 Figure 8.

Figure 6 is an exaggerated diagram showing the effect of the grippingrollers on the stock..

Figure 7 is a detail planet the'clamp for holding the stock againstendwise movement.

Figure 8 is a sectional plan similar to Figure 3- but showing the guiderollers and carri'age in more advanced position. i

clamp, and

Figure is a section on Figure 5. c

The machine has a bed 10 of any usual type, and on this is pivoted'aswinging member 11,

Figure 9is a sectional elevation of the stock'- theline 10-10of is asection on the line 55 of this moving" parallel with the plate and being ,pivotedat one end as shown at 12, and

its free end it is provided with'a handle 11, so that the parts 11 and13 really actas a lever and carry the, stock gripping and bendingmovable parts as presently describe V V In shaping the metal a cam trackis used,

and one cam member 13 is given the shape to which the metal is desiredto be bent. It can.

be fastened to the bed 10 in anyconvenient way, as for example by studslat which space it from'the bed. The other side of the cam trackisformed by a guide member 15 which is for the most part the same shape asthe member 18, and is where the bending of metal occurs of exactlythesame shape. This member 15 is reduced at one end as shown at 15 .topermit the easy introduction of the metal, as hereinafter described, andthe part 15, merges into the part, 15through an in-; clined shoulder17whi'ch serves to force one of thegripping rollers against the metal,

and fromthe shoulder 17 to the right hand end looking at Figure lot themember 15, said memberand the member 13 are of the same shape and areparallel.

The gripping rollers for shaping and breaking down and crimping thestock are preferably arrangedin sets, and are triangularly disposed sothat one roller will be m against the stock on a l ne between,

the bearings of the opposite pair of rollers, and this arrangement canbe most conveniently carried out by means of a carriage or carriages 18,at least two being preferably employed. As illustrated each. carriagecomprises spaced upper and lower plates 19 and 20 which are spaced apartand secured by the studs 21 or equivalent means. Each carriage 18 movesalong the cam track above described, and to provide for the necessary:lreedom of movement it is connected with the bed 11 by a stud 22 (seeFigure which moves in a slot 22 in the bed 11, this slot beingtransverse of the cam track above referred to.

Each carriage is provided with outer and inner guide rollers 23-23, 21-2et shown best in Figures 3 and 8, and the pairs of rollers 23, 23 and24, 2 1 have their bearings out of alignment as shown to the end thatthe rollers may follow accurately without binding and without lostmotion the cam member 13. Thus it will be seen that in Figure 3 as thecarriage moves along the curve the track member 123 'l'ollowed by therollers 23, 23' and 2t, while the roller 24; is idle, but as the carri age progresses along the curve it will be noticed by reference to Figure8 that the rollers 2? and 24: follow the traclz member 13, while theroller 241-v is idle. In this way it will be seen that the curve iseasily passed by the carriage, and that two rollers on one side of thetrack member 13 and one on the opposite side are always in engagementwith 3 the track and so there is no lost motion, and

yet the track is easily followed. This is further facilitated by thefact that the carriage as a whole can move in and out of the slot 22.

On the upper side of each carriage is a set of rollers 25 and 26. Therollers 25 engage one side of the stock 35 to be bent, and the roller 26engages the opposite side, and the rollers are shaped to it the stool:as shown in Figure 5. It will be noted that the roller 26 has itsbearings in stagger-ed relation to the bearings of the rollers 25, thatis the rollers are triangular-1y disposed, and when the roller 26 isforced against the stock, it has a tendency to break down or crimp thestock between itself and the rollers 25. which is shown in anexaggerated way in Figure 6. This action is very slight, but it isenough to alfect the grain of th metal. and to break it down to theextent of pre venting its reaction after it has been shaped, and as thegripping rollers 25 and 26 are forced along the stock in the desiredpath. that is the path of the cam track. the metal is continuouslybroken down and curved, and when it is finished there not the slightestreactionary spring.

To provide for the above breaking down or crimping action, the roller 26is mounted in movable relation to the stock between it and the rollers25. and one convenient way is to have it on a slide plate 27 which movesin a. way 28 in the top plate of the carriage (see Figures 5 and and toeffect this action the slide plate 27 has a roller 29 which runs alongthe track member 15.

By referrin to Figure 1 it will be seen that when the carriage is in itsinitial position with the roller 29 behind the shoulder 17, that isopposite the reduced part of the member 15, there will be sufficientclearance for the stock to be threaded through between the rollers and26, but as the member 11 is swung forward, the rollers 29 willsuccessively ride upon the shoulder 17, and then is constantly pressedinward to the desired extent by the track member 15.

Before the stock can be bent it must be held against endwise movement,and a convenient means for accomplishing this is shown. in Figures 7 and9. The plate 30 is mounted on studs 31 on the bed 10 so as to be at theright level, and on this plate is pivoted ec centrically a cam 32operated by a handle 33 and adapted to impinge the stock between themember 32 and an abutment block 34-.

lVhen the machine is to be used, the member 11 is swung back to the leftas seen in Fig ure 1., so as to bring the rollers 29 in advance of theshoulder 17, and the stock 35 is threaded. through between the parts 32and 34, and between the gripping rollers 25 and 26. The stock is pushedtl'n'ough to the desired extent, after which the stock is clamped by thecam 32, and the operator by means of the handle 33 swings the levermember 11 to the right. As this movement proceeds, the carriages '18 illfollow the contour of the cam track by reason of the guide rollers 23,23, 24 2 1 as already described, while as the rollers 29 ride over theshoulder 17 they will cause the gripping rollers 25 and 28 to grip andcrimp the metal or stock 35, and as the lever 11 is moved around, thecarriages will cause the metal to be bent to the path followed by thecarriages, and the crimping action will take place sin'iultaneously asalready described.

It is quite obvious that the member 1]. might be moved by mechanicalpower other than manual, and that many details of the structure might bechanged without affecting the principle of the invention.

I claim l. A metal bending machine comprising a cam track of the shapeto which the metal is to be bent, triangularly disposed stool; grippingrollers impinging on opposite sides of the stock, and means for movingthe rollers along the stock and along the cam track.

2. A stock bending machine comprising a cam track of the shape to whichthe metal is to be bent, triangularly disposed stock grip- 1,. g rollersimpinging on opposite sides of tne stock, means for moving one of therollers against the stock out of alignment with the other rollers,thereby crimping or breaking down the stock, and means for moving therollers along the stock and along the cam track. I

3. A metal bending machine comprising a cam track of the shape to whichthe metal is to be bent, triangularly disposed stock gripping rollers,means actuated from the cam track for moving one of the rollers againstthe stock out of alignment with theother rollers thereby crimping orbreaking down the stock, and means for moving the rollers along thestock and along the cam track. I

4. A metal bending machine comprising a set of stock gripping rollers intriangular arrangement disposed to impinge upon the stock, With a pairof rollers on one side the stock and the third roller on the oppositeside and disposed between the bearings of the said pair, means formoving the gripping rollers in and out with relation to each other, andmeans for moving the rollers as a Whole in a path corresponding to thedesired shape of the bent metal.

A metal bending machine comprising a cam track of the shape to which themetal is to be bent, triangularly disposed stock gripping rollersdisposed to impinge upon the stock Withone roller out of alignment witheither of the opposed rollers, means for holding the stock againstendwise movement, and means for moving the gripping rollers along thestockand along the cam track.

6. A metal bending machine comprising a cam track formed of spacedmembers, a set of triangularly disposed stock gripping rollers movablealong one track With one of the rollers movable in-and out with respectto the other rollers, means for moving the rollers being out ofalignment with either of the first two rollers, and cam actuated meansfor forcing the individual roller against the stock.

11. A metal bending machine comprising a cam track of the shape to whichthe metal is to be bent, a carriage movable alongcthe cam track, aplurality of guide rollers on the carriage engaging opposite sides of apart of the track and withthe rollers on one side of the track, advancedwith relation to the rollers'on the opposite side, stock grippingmembers on the carriageacting. to impinge upon the stock, and meanscarriage along the cam track.

In testimony whereof, I have'signed my name to this specificationthis5th day of Feb.,'1929.

' WALTER L; FRY.

along one member of the cam track, and means a I actuated by the secondmember of the cam track for moving the aforesaid individual rolleragainst the stock. s v

7. A stock bending machine comprising a cam track, a carriage movablealong the track, guide rollers on the carriage engaging one part of thetrack, stock gripping rollers l on the carriage, said rollers beingtIlflJlglb V larly disposed, two being on one side of the stock and oneon the opposite side, means for moving the carriage along the track, andmeans actuated by a second member of the track for moving the singlestock gripping roller against the stock. d v

8. A metal bending machine comprising a. cam trackof the shape'to whichthe metal is i to bebent, a lever swinging opposite the cam track, and aset of triangularly disposed stock gripping rollers carried by thelever, the said rollers being arranged with fixed bearings for two ofsaid rollers and a mo'vable bearing for the third roller, and means formoving the last named roller against the I stock. A I

9. A metal bending machine according to claim 8, further characterizedby having for moving the I

